The Czech Republic has already hosted more than 150,000 refugees from Ukraine

Gustavo Monge Prague, 15 Mar The Czech Republic, a central European country that does not have a direct border with Ukraine, has welcomed in less than three weeks of war there already more than 150,000 people who have fled the Russian invasion. The vast majority of refugees arrive by train from neighbouring Slovakia, bordering Ukraine, and are welcomed in Prague by a whole army of volunteers who then distribute them to different absorption and first needs centres. The main entry point into the country is Prague Central Station, where trains arrive every hour, with 700 and more people coming from Ukraine, in a climate of restrained emotion, exhaustion and relief of finally being safe. A volunteer, with a megaphone in hand, coordinates the departure of trains in Russian, always with the support of employees of the local firefighters. “Bol'shoye spasibo (thank you very much),” says a girl to the public address volunteer. Unlike the older ones, minors do not reflect on their faces the tension of recent weeks. LONG JOURNEY FROM KHARKIV Larisa is one of the refugees who arrived this Tuesday, from Kharkiv, one of the cities most affected by Russian bombings. She has been accompanied by a friend and her daughter. “We have been traveling for almost 48 hours. Today I would return home, if I could,” she explains to Efe and breaks into tears, having to be comforted by a volunteer, who is a friend of the family. Kiril Ponomarov is a young Ukrainian man studying at the Polytechnic University of Prague. He hails from Zaporozhie, the Ukrainian city that hosts the main nuclear power plant in Europe, taken over by the Russians. “Nobody wants this war, and we hope it will end as soon as possible,” the student tells Efe. Today he receives the relatives of a friend of his on the platform. A few days ago he welcomed his mother, sister and nephew in the same place, while his father has stayed in Ukraine to help with the logistics of food delivery in his city. COUNTRY CALLED The Czech Government estimates that it currently has the capacity to absorb the equivalent of 2 per cent of the country's population, or some 215,000 people. At the current rate of arrivals, capacities will be exhausted in a few days, as according to the Ministry of the Interior, some 160,000 refugees have already received residence permits. Most of the refugees arriving in Prague stay in the Czech Republic, where there is a large Ukrainian community, which before the conflict had already numbered some 160,000 people. “I have relatives here. I'm going to rest first. Then I'll look for a job. I am a physical education student,” says Taimila, a native of Kharkiv. A dozen trains arrive every day at Prague Central Station, always on the same platform number 1, where an area has been set up where food, blankets, SIM cards for mobile phones and information on connections to other destinations have been set up. Those wishing to stay in the country are then transferred to the nearby bus terminal to go to the main refugee assistance and reception point, set up at the Prague Congress Centre. RECEPTION CENTER In that place, managed by the Prague City Council and the Central Bohemian Regional Government, refugees are registered by the police. In addition, public health insurance is formalized, they receive initial aid of about 200 euros from the Czech State, and they are provided with advice in their search for accommodation and work. Since the outbreak of the war, 36,000 people have passed through the center, of which 10% have needed help to find formal accommodation, while half a thousand people are housed in emergency places, such as sports centers, culture houses, or fire houses. The city council of Prague pays an aid of 7.2 euros per person per night to those who take in refugees, something that it finances from its own budgets. Faced with the relentless influx of refugees, the mayor of Prague, Zdenek Hrib, today called for urgent financial assistance from both the central government and the European Union (EU). CHIEF gm/jk/ads (photo) (video)